Rose
by PhildeVenn
Summary: In this A/U Rose was never bitten by Jules. After a brief affair with Damon she moves on and creates her own life, she's happy, but is there someone else who will ever measure up to Damon? Several years later Damon and Elena, now vampires, come back into her life in a very surprising way. Helping them once again, can Rose get over Damon and find love for herself?
1. Rose Says Goodby

Rose was lying next to Damon, watching him sleep. She wanted to reach out and caress his face but resisted, knowing that if she did, he would wake up and it would ruin the moment. She wanted to prolong this moment. She wanted to linger in her fantasy that Damon would actually fall in love with her, as she had fallen in love with him.

Rose examined his face as he slept. It was rare to be able to leisurely study him like this - relaxed, composed and peaceful. This wasn't the normal Damon. The normal Damon was passionate, amused, angry, frightening, and sometimes threatening. Rose shuddered as she recalled the events of the last few months. Damon was a violent man, of that fact there was no question. However, she had also seen tenderness along with intense loyalty as well.

Painfully, she remembered him and Elena together, and knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. For some reason, Rose saw things in Elena that no one else seemed to see. Everyone who knew her seemed to believe that she and Stefan belonged together, that theirs was the perfect couple, even Damon who loved her thought that she and Stefan belonged together. Every one believed it - except Rose. Maybe it was because she loved Damon herself that gave her clarity. Whatever the case maybe, she knew that Elena was made for him and he for her. Rose might be enjoying him now, but ultimately she would not get the guy.

Finally, Rose could resist no longer, and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. As she expected, his eyes opened immediately and he looked back at her in amusement.

"Good morning," said Rose.

"Good morning, Rose. Do you know, you have the perfect name for saying good morning? Rose." When he last spoke her name, he savoured the sound. It was almost a physical pleasure to hear her name spoken like that. Rose closed her eyes and allowed the small pleasure to wash over her. She realized she was in serious trouble if such a small thing could feel so good.

Damon placed his hand on Rose's hip and slowly drew it up her body until it rested on her breast. Cupping her breast in his palm, he caressed her nipple, all the while staring into her eyes so, she could see the tenderness he was feeling and observing her delight.

Rose shivered with pleasure and slid over slightly towards Damon, pressing her body against him, and gave him a gentle kiss on his mouth. Damon responded with increasing passion as his hand continued its exploration and stimulation of her body. It didn't take long before they were once again making passionate love.

Once Damon brought Rose to the point of fulfillment, she rested her head on his shoulder and looked into his face, memorizing every detail. "Damon. Do you realize how beautiful you are?"

Not sure how to respond to such a compliment, Damon evaded, "Waking up like this certainly beats the hell out of coffee and a cigarette, doesn't it?"

The intimacy and tenderness of the moment vanished as quickly as a soap bubble produced from a child's toy vanishes when it touches the ground. Rose was both annoyed and grateful. Comparing last night to coffee and a cigarette was the apex of a long list of insensitive comments Damon had uttered in their short relationship. Nevertheless, he had saved her the humiliation of exposing herself and her feelings for him. She knew her cause was hopeless. She knew that Elena held his heart and the only way to drive her out of his heart was to drive a stake into it. Coming that close to telling him how she loved him convinced her the time had come for her to leave. If she didn't she would make a complete fool of herself and force Damon to drive her away.

Rose forced a smile and quipped, "I don't know, depends on what's in the coffee."

Damon barked a quick laugh, gave her a quick kiss on her nose and rolled over, away from her. "Whatever you put in your coffee to rival this must be really something."

Damon climbed out of bed, and grabbed his shorts. "First dibs on the shower," he called as he headed into the bathroom. Rose laid back into bed and gave a sigh of relief and regret while lying quietly considering her next step. She listened to the water in the shower running and Damon's tuneless whistle and cursed him for being an inconsiderate bastard by grabbing the shower first.

Rose's hearing picked up on the sound of a car driving up, and guessing who it was and with a malicious grin, jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom. "Scoot over Damon, you can't have the shower all to yourself. I need it worse than you," Rose demanded as she entered the shower with Damon, gasping at first, from the very hot water.

"If we're going to share, you can wash my back, and I'll wash yours, you first," drawled Damon.

"Fine, give me the soap." Rose grinned mischievously. She took the soap out of Damon's hands and rubbed it producing a good lather. Then standing behind him, began washing his back enjoying the feel of his muscular frame.

It was at this moment they heard the front door open and Elena call out, "Damon, Rose, it's Elena and Bonnie."

"What are Elena and Bonnie doing here?" queried Damon turning around to face Rose. "What time is it, anyway?"

Rose giggled, "Its a little after 10, weren't you expecting them this morning?"

"Damn, I hadn't realized how late it was. Elena had said she wanted to come over to talk about Stefan. I forgot." When Damon turned around, Rose began taking liberties with her hands, exploring Damon's body. "God, Rose, you have to stop doing that!"

"What's the matter Damon? Getting a little excited?" teased Rose.

They heard the bedroom door open and once again, Elena called out, "Damon, where are you? Where's Rose?"

"Rose, you're being a bitch," Damon growled through clenched teeth. "You knew she would be coming up here." Then he called out, "Elena, we're, I mean, I'm in the shower. Give me a minute, will you? I'll see you downstairs."

"If you're looking for me, I'm in the shower as well, Elena. We won't be down in a minute," called Rose, laughing.

For a moment of silence, and then they heard Elena slam the bedroom door closed as she left the room.

"What do you think you're doing, Rose? Are you trying to stir up trouble?" Damon asked angrily.

"Now, I wonder why should this cause trouble?" Rose asked. "If she's with Stefan, why would she care if we're taking a shower together? Perhaps, she's not just with Stefan, perhaps she has interests in you as well. Maybe you should think about that. Now go on out and face the music," laughed Rose pushing him out of the shower.

Damon quickly dried himself and put on some shorts. As he left the bedroom he grabbed a shirt and was pulling it on over his head as he walked out. Rose took her time as she finished washing. Then she dressed and went down to the living room to join the others. As she had been dressing she overheard Elena vigorously deny any concerns about Damon and her. "I just think it's pretty callous on your part to be having an affair when your brother is obviously in serious trouble, Damon. Stefan should be your first priority, yet you just ignore his absence and just want to sleep the day away with Rose."

For reasons Rose did not understand, Damon was reluctant to tell Elena anything about his efforts to track Stefan. As a result Elena was becoming increasingly frustrated with him about his apparent inactivity. Rose realized that walking in on her and Damon together in the shower didn't improve Elena's mood either.

Feeling a little guilty, Rose apologized, "Hi Elena, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I wanted to embarrass Damon a little, I wasn't thinking about how I might be making you uncomfortable. I'm really sorry."

Stiffly Elena replied, "You have no reason to apologize, Rose. What you and Damon do is none of my business."

Rose smiled at Elena's obvious lie, "Well, in any case, I'm glad you're here. I need to tell you all that I've decided this morning that it is time I leave Mystic Falls. I need to move on. I'm free of Klaus and I need to start building my own life."

"Why do you have to leave, why can't you stay here?" asked Damon, annoyed at this abrupt announcement from Rose.

Rose shook her head, "There are too many vampires here already. I need to move on."

"Where will you go?" asked Bonnie.

"New York. It's a great place for vampires, lots of people in public places. It's an easy place to feed and remain unnoticed."

Damon was mollified by the prospect of going to New York periodically, to see Rose, nodded, "New York is good. It's certainly a lot of fun; I can come up often to see you, Rose, but I wish you didn't feel like you have to leave. There's plenty of room here."

"As though you two need plenty of room," Elena muttered to herself, forgetting how well Rose and Damon could hear. "When do you plan on leaving?" she asked Rose.

"Tonight, when the sun sets. I'll drive through the night and should arrive well before dawn."

"Oh, of course, I had forgotten," exclaimed Bonnie. She pulled out a small box from her purse. "Elena had asked me to make this for you. She said she owed you for the help you had given." Bonnie handed the box to Rose.

When Rose opened it, she saw a silver ring with a blue sapphire mounted on it. Attached to the sapphire was a jade leaf on each side. "It is lovely," observed Rose as she tried it on. "Thank you very much, it's a sweet keepsake."

"It's a lot more than that," explained Bonnie. "Elena asked me to make you a day ring. Damon picked out the ring, and I placed the spell. You can travel in day light now, Rose."

Rose went to the window and gingerly placed her hand in the sunshine. When nothing happened she stepped fully into the light. For the first time in centuries, Rose was able to feel the full heat of the sun on her skin. She stood still for a moment, then, with vampire quickness, Rose ran outside and stood in the yard, her arms outstretched basking in the sunlight. Her face turned to the sun, her eyes closed, simply soaking it all in. The others followed her outside and watched her joyful celebration of freedom.

With tears of gratitude, Rose went to Elena and hugged her. "Thank you Elena. I feel like I've been given a new life."

Mollified by her gratitude and the knowledge that she would be leaving soon, Elena returned her embrace. "It was the least I could do, Rose. It's good to know I have a friend in New York. Keep in touch, let us know how you make out."

Rose answered, "I'll do that, Elena. I hope we can continue to be friends." Rose turned to Bonnie, "Thank you Bonnie, for being so generous."

Bonnie shrugged, "It wasn't much. You're one of the good ones, Rose. We witches need to be sure to help the good ones. It helps balance out the bad. Remember, Rose, you were once human. Don't forget where you came from."

Soberly, Rose nodded. "I won't, Bonnie. I remember every day." Waving her hand with the day ring, she said, "This will help."

Bonnie glanced at her watch, "Look Elena, I have a lot of things to do in town, we need to get going."

On a sudden impulse, Rose interjected, "You know Bonnie, I could really use Elena's help getting packed. Elena, could I borrow you for a few hours, it would be a big help."

Surprised at the request Elena simply shrugged. "I guess, but how's Bonnie going to get back?"

"Oh – Damon will be glad to give Bonnie a ride, won't you, Damon?"

Actually the prospect of driving Bonnie anywhere was not appealing at all to Damon. He'd enough of her brain fry witchery to last an eternity. He wasn't convinced she wouldn't do it again, just for fun. However, he wasn't about to admit that out loud, besides Bonnie didn't want to ride with him anymore than he with her. "Sure, why not? Come on Bonnie, I'll take you into town, no problemo."

Bonnie and Elena exchanged looks and Elena simply shrugged. "It's up to you, Bonnie. I don't mind either way."

"Go on Bonnie, it will be okay," interjected Rose. "It's just a quick ride into town. Besides, Elena and I need some time together before I go."

Finally, Bonnie acquiesced. "Fine, Damon whenever you're ready."

Damon glanced with concern at Rose and Elena, wondering what Rose was up to, then shrugged. "Sure, let me change and grab some things."

As Damon left, Bonnie spoke to Rose, "Are you sure you have to leave? You and Damon seem to get along well together."

"Bonnie, I'm sure Rose knows what's best for her. New York isn't that far away, she can always come back to visit," Elena interjected.

Amused at Elena's eagerness to have her leave, Rose affirmed, "Yes, it's best if I get used to living on my own for a while. Honestly, I have a feeling Klaus isn't done with Elena yet. Once he learns she is still alive, he'll have other uses for her. If you need my help, let me know, but otherwise I would like to establish some distance between Klaus and me."

Elena shivered at the prospect of Klaus returning. _What would it take to get him out of her life?_

Damon returned at the end of Rose's observation. "You're right, Rose. Just the fact that Stefan is with him says that we're not done with him yet." Giving Rose a tender kiss, he asked, "You'll be here when I get back?"

"Of course, we need to give each other a proper goodbye." Damon's calm acceptance of her decision told Rose everything she needed to know in regards to any future they may have. If she had any reservation that she needed to leave, this dispelled it completely. Rose noticed Elena scowling as she wondered what a 'proper goodbye' meant. Rose grinned. She really liked Elena, but couldn't resist pulling her chain a little. After all, it was Elena who was getting the guy.

After Damon and Bonnie left, Rose smiled to Elena, "Okay, Elena, cards on the table. I've fallen totally for Damon, and I want to see him happy. Like it or not, you're a big part of his happiness, so I want to make sure you understand a few things about yourself, and I'm going to explain it to you."

Defensively, Elena objected. "So, you're an expert on me now, Rose? Why should I listen to you?"

Rose smiled indulgently, "How old are you Elena?"

"I'm 18."

"You realize, you're still a baby, even if you're growing up fast."

Elena stiffened resentfully, "I know you're like 500 years old, but that doesn't make me a baby. I've been through a lot, and I've grown up, a lot."

"Of course you have, but you still have a ways to go. Maybe calling you a baby is a little strong, but you have a ways to go before you can really make right choices for who you are. You're still trying to figure that out. As you said, I've been around a long time and there are some things that I want you to think about. Elena, I want you to be serious about where your future lies. Typically, humans who become involved with vampires either become vampires or become dead. Being a doppelgänger is another strike against you. You're in love with two vampires, two very different vampires and that's strike three."

"I'm in love with Stefan, what makes you say I'm in love with two vampires?"

Rose gave Elena a pitying look. "You can either face it or ignore it, that's up to you. Anyone who has eyes can tell you love them both. The fact is, Elena, the odds of you having a normal life are very, very slim. Now, let's look at the two Salvatore brothers, Stefan is safe, and Damon is dangerous. Right now, you need safe, so Stefan is your first choice. But will safe be enough next year, next decade, next century? Frankly Elena, I don't think you're wired for safe. I think you're wired for dangerous. Like it or not, you and Katherine have a lot in common, besides how you look."

"I'm not at all like Katherine!" Elena protested.

"I understand, you've lived different lives, made different choices, and have different values. But underneath it all, at the core, you're alike. Katherine is a bitch, no question, but before you start thinking your all good and she's all bad, ask yourself what you would be like if you had lived her life. What you have in common is that when either one of you decide on something you want, you don't hesitate to go after it. That's not a bad thing Elena, but you need to understand the kind of person you are before you make any final decisions regarding Damon and Stefan."

"You think I should choose Damon."

Rose nodded, "Ultimately, yes."

"You tell me this, even though you love him, I know you do. What do you get out of this?"

Rose shrugged, "I have too much pride to love a man in the shadow of another woman. If I help the two of you, it soothes my pride to know that even though I didn't get the guy, I helped him to be happy."

"You expect me to just throw Stefan over and throw myself into Damon's arms?"

Rose laughed, "It would be funny to see Damon if that were to happen, but no, you need Stefan right now, you're not ready for Damon. You just need to understand where your future is, Stefan is temporary, Damon is forever."

"You make me sound very selfish. You're telling me that I'm using both Stefan and Damon for my own needs."

"Aren't you? You've known that they both love you. What have you actually done about it? Be honest, it pissed you off that Damon and I were together last night, but you're with Stefan. You like having both of them around. Don't feel bad, Elena. I like selfish people who know what they want and go after it. Just be honest about it. Stefan and Damon are big boys, if you're honest with them, they'll survive."

Elena stood up and paced. She was deeply moved by what she had been hearing and what she realized about herself. _What kind of person was she, really?_ She also thought about her future. She had always believed that becoming a vampire was the last thing she wanted. _But was that really true? Why was she in love with two of them, if she wanted to stay human? Why had she broken up with Matt if a normal human life was all that she wanted?_ _Should she go after what she wanted or should she make herself want the things that she thought she should?_

For the first time Elena understand what Rose said about her and Katherine being alike. She didn't think she was capable of making herself want what she should. More importantly, she couldn't stop wanting the things she shouldn't.

Rose watched Elena's expressions shift as she processed what she had been told. Rose's feelings at the moment were bittersweet. Rose knew that she and Damon could have been happy, if they had met under different circumstances. However, even though she would never have Damon for herself, she was still content. She had been around too long to think that there couldn't be happiness without him. Besides, she was free! Completely and totally free! Free of Klaus, free of the sun, free to go and do as she pleased. Even though Elena held Damon's heart, Rose didn't envy her at all. Elena was destined for vampirism, of that there was no question. It was going to be a hard road for her to deal with.

Yes, Damon was special, but Rose wouldn't trade places with Elena even if she could. She reached out to Elena, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. "I really wish you well, Elena. If there is ever anything I can do, if you need a place to stay, anything, don't hesitate to call. I'm going to get my stuff, hunt Damon down to say good-by and be on my way."

Elena hugged her back, "I'm going to miss you, Rose. I think the time will come when I'll need more of your advice."

Rose chuckled, "Giving advice is easy, taking it can be hard. We'll see each other again. The world of vampires is pretty small and getting smaller."

"You're assuming I'll become a vampire."

"Either that or you won't be alive very long. If Damon or Stefan have anything to say about it, they won't let you die, so there you are. This is a hard world, and you've chosen a dangerous path. Stop kidding yourself, Elena. Don't break Damon's heart by being stupid."

With a last hug goodbye, Rose left Elena to find Damon to tell him goodbye.


	2. 8 Years Later

**A/N:** **The assumption for this story is that Elena and Damon are together and that they left Mystic Falls to create a life for themselves. What happened to them in Mystic Falls before they left is left largely to the reader's discretion as to where this history departs from the television series. What happened to them after leaving Mystic Falls will unfold as the story progresses.**

Rose arrived at her office a little after 8 that morning. Her office was situated near Prospect Park in Brooklyn with an apartment above it. Even though she lived upstairs with no commute, Miriam had already arrived well in advance of her as usual. Miriam was a petite woman in her early forties. She had a pleasant moon shaped face and a small nose that refused to keep her glasses where they were supposed to belong, but always slid down to the very tip, no matter how often she pushed them up.

"Hi Miriam, how's Jack?" asked Rose.

"Oh, he's much better today, Dr. Rose, I dropped him off at school this morning. Thanks for asking. I have your tea ready; - you've got a full schedule today." Miriam paused before continuing, "Doctor, I really appreciate giving me yesterday afternoon off like that. I know it was an inconvenience."

"Not at all Miriam, there were just a few patients I had to see and my agency was able to re-schedule the rest. I enjoyed going home early yesterday. It led me to realize that I need to rethink my priorities and schedule personal time for myself. It shouldn't take Jack getting sick to cause me take the time off to rest and take care of myself." Rose noticed Miriam smile her agreement and reach for the appointment book. "So what do we have today?"

Miriam smiled. "Your first appointment is a new patient, she was referred to you by Andrea Varner. She should be very interesting, her problem is right up your alley."

Rose was surprised at Miriam's comment. She usually didn't comment on any of her patient's concerns. "What do you mean, 'right up my alley?' I've seen every kind of problem imaginable, what's different about this one?"

Miriam laughed. "I'm not going to say. Once you talk with her, you'll understand. She's a young girl, seventeen. Her mother's coming as well. I've talked with her mother; she's a bit overbearing. I think she's the sort that makes up her mind quickly, then stands by her opinion and don't bother her with the facts. I haven't talked with her daughter - her name is Samantha Cavendish. Mrs. Cavendish and Samantha will be here by 9. Mrs. Cavendish is a widow, pretty well set up by her late husband. Samantha is their only child. I've scheduled a full hour for them."

Rose was surprised. "An hour, my first session is usually half the time. I have to decide whether I'll accept her as a patient."

"Oh, you'll take this one, trust me."

Rose was beginning to get a little annoyed with her assistant. She didn't particularly like mysteries and was about to push harder for answers, but she realized that was exactly what Miriam wanted. Obviously Miriam had the inside scoop on something and there was nothing short of compulsion that would get it out of her. Since Miriam had started working for her they had developed a bond of trust and Rose wasn't about to violate that trust in order to pry some petty secret out of her.

Rose sighed. "I guess I'll wait until they get her and find out what this is all about then."

Miriam laughed. "That's right, you'll find out then. Oh – just to be clear, I had nothing to do with them coming here, as far as I know this is a coincidence, other than the fact that your reputation for getting results is beginning to attract a lot of patients with unusual problems."

Now Rose was really intrigued but decided she had given Miriam far too much satisfaction already. "Very well, call me when they get here and then send them both in. Of course, I'll need to talk to the girl alone. You'll have to sit with the mother."

"Of course."

"Well, until then, I have paperwork to complete and you have insurance claims to process."

Miriam wrinkled her nose. "Yuk, I hope you appreciate all that I do. I'm going to have to deal with Mr. Ingram today; he is such a prick. I don't understand why you won't track him down and compel him into being reasonable for a change. You sure you can't compel someone over the phone?"

"Miriam!" rebuked Rose in astonishment. "We don't talk about that, what's gotten in to you?"

"Oh come on, Doctor. There's no one else here. I think it's really cool, what you are and how you use it to help people. You don't know how hard it is, keeping it a secret."

"It shouldn't be hard at all, Miriam. I simply won't allow it," replied Rose archly.

"Yes, yes, I know. I don't mean that I CAN tell it, I mean it's hard because I want to tell it."

"And that's why I have you under compulsion so that you can't. If it's too hard Miriam, I can make you forget and find you another position." Rose didn't mean that as threatening as it sounded, but still, she couldn't afford to take chances.

Offended Miriam protested. "Well you don't have to get snarky about it. I'm just telling the truth, I'll be good from now on, I promise."

Rose smiled. "I know you will. So you know what the dwarfs say, right?"

"Yes, yes I know. Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho it's off to work we go."

Rose laughed as she entered her office and closed the door behind her. Rose smiled to herself as she poured a cup of tea, sat down at her desk, and started her computer. However, instead of starting in on the mountain of paperwork that never ended, she stared off and began reminiscing.

It was ironic that she would have a mystery patient on today of all days. This was the anniversary of when she and Trevor had kidnapped Elena Gilbert. Poor Trevor, she hadn't given him a thought in months. It had been his idea that the doppelgänger could be the means of gaining release from being hounded by the Originals. He was right in a way, it got her out, but didn't work out so well for him. Rose thought about Elena, Damon, and Stefan and wondered how they made out.

Unlike her neglect of Trevor's memory, she thought of Damon often. His was one of those bittersweet memories a girl likes to cherish. One of those what-ifs that set a standard by which she measures all the other men she meets. It's strange how even at over 500 years old she thought of Damon as her first love. She had been with other men of course, but none took her heart like Damon did. She hoped he was happy.

In spite of the fact that she and Damon were not meant to be, Rose had never been happier. She supposed that Damon would always be special to her because he marked the beginning of when Rose was actually able to start building a life. For centuries, before she had become involved with Damon, she had been obsessed with running, surviving, and yes, killing. After she left Damon and Mystic Falls, she had been able to go to school and earn her license as a therapist. Yes, she cheated some, compelling clerks to back date the necessary paperwork and degrees, but she never cheated where it counted. All the courses and examinations she took that related directly to qualifying as a licensed therapist was all through her own efforts.

Now she had a thriving practice. Being able to compel certainly had its advantages when dealing with her patient's problems. She had experienced significant success with patients that other therapists had essentially given up on. Where others had resorted to medication to dull the symptoms Rose had been able to deal with the underlying problem. This was why she was developing a reputation for helping patients who were not able to get help anywhere else. The bonus was she had a steady stream of blood donors to feed from. She had a refrigerator in her office to keep a supply of blood samples she took from herself regularly. After she counseled a patient, she would compel and feed from them, then have them drink a small sample of her blood and the wound healed quickly. Rose would then turn them over to Miriam who would give them some food and juice until they recovered and then send them on their way. It was perfect.

Hiring Miriam made everything go better. When Rose realized she needed an assistant, she had vetted the candidates carefully, placing each under compulsion to ensure complete candor. Miriam proved to be perfect for the job. After working there for six months, Miriam had no doubts how much Rose helped her patients. So when Rose took the plunge and asked Miriam into her office to show how she fed from some of her patients Miriam's reaction wasn't negative at all, quite the opposite. Rose smiled as she remembered Miriam's reaction.

"I knew it! I knew there was something supernatural about you. This is great! Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to me before, now I get to work with a real vampire! Just wait until I tell Jack who his mother works for, he'll be thrilled."

Rose had to laugh out loud when she remembered having to dampen Miriam's enthusiasm and tell her it had to be a secret. Not only did it have to be a secret, but that Rose would be compelling her so that if she did try, she would not be able to speak the words, but would simply stand there babbling like a fool.

Thinking of Miriam sobered Rose as she realized that she really did have to get to work. Her mystery patient would be arriving soon and Rose didn't relish staying in the office late because she neglected things now. Rose immersed herself in the various reports, prescriptions, and sundry other paperwork required supporting a private practice and the time passed quickly. Rose was a little surprised to realize that it was 10 before the hour when Miriam announced that the Cavendish's were there.

"Very well, Miriam, have them come in."

Rose looked up from her computer when Mrs. Cavendish, Samantha, and Miriam entered her office. She immediately stood up from behind her desk, introduced herself, and gestured for them to take a seat in the chairs provided. Rose sat down in front of them while Miriam stood by, waiting for any further instructions.

Rose took a moment to appraise her visitors. Mrs. Cavendish was in her mid-forty's, which was about right for a woman with a teenage daughter. She was dressed stylishly but conservatively. Rose could tell from her clothes and jewelry, that she was basically a practical woman. There was nothing frivolous about the woman, she was attractive and did all she could to emphasize her good qualities. She had dark brunette hair, carefully groomed, that was beginning to show streaks of grey; but it obviously didn't concern her, because she did nothing to cover it up.

Samantha was an attractive girl, it was obvious that she enjoyed dressing as provocatively as her mother would allow. She had a good figure and wore tight clothes to accent the fact she had all the right curves in the right places. The way she walked also invited attention to her figure. She had brunette hair, like her mother's, and wore it very long, easily down to her waist. At the moment her expression of defiance marred an otherwise very pretty face.

Impatient with the moment of quiet Rose used to assess their appearance, Mrs. Cavendish spoke first. "Dr. Stanton, my name is Veranda Cavendish. My good friend Andrea speaks very highly of you. So much so, I believe she has lost any objectivity the poor woman might have ever possessed. Nevertheless, I believe Samantha's situation is so peculiar that I'm willing to take a chance with you. Tell me how much do you know about obsessions?"

Rose was a little taken aback by the bluntness of Mrs. Cavendish's question. Most patients were more interested in talking about their problems and were not interested in inquiring about Rose's knowledge on a very broad topic. Instead of wasting valuable time by embroiling herself in some abstract discussion, Rose attempted to divert Mrs. Cavendish. "How is Andrea? I understand she has started a new business?"

Mrs. Cavendish sniffed in disapproval. "Yes she has. Against everyone's advise, she's started a home remodeling business. I admit, it is surprisingly successful at the moment; I am sure it is merely beginners luck. She has no head for business, as I have told her many times."

Rose smiled to herself, and then replied, "Actually, Mrs. Cavendish, Andrea is a very intelligent woman. I'm sure she'll do fine." Andrea was one of Rose's more dramatic success stories. Verbally abused by her father, her husband regularly cheated on her and missed no opportunity to inform her what a failure she was. It seemed as though Andrea's life was filled with people who felt compelled to tell her all the things she couldn't do. If Rose had not been able to compel some self esteem into her, she was certain that Andrea would have at best been severely medicated, and at worst would have done serious harm to herself before the year was out.

"Well, time will certainly tell, but I'm not spending good money to talk about Andrea, I want to deal with Samantha's problem."

Rose observed Samantha's defiant reaction to this declaration. She folded her arms tightly across her chest and slumped back in the chair as though she could force herself to disappear by imposition of her will. Rose realized that the sooner she separated the two the better.

"Perhaps you could leave Samantha and I alone for awhile and we'll see what I can do."

"You haven't heard what her problem is, Dr. Stanton. How can you help unless I tell you that?"

"Very well, Mrs. Cavendish, enlighten me." Rose regretted the sarcastic tone, but she was about done with this woman. It would have to be a really serious problem to interest Rose enough to take them on. Besides, by observing Samantha, she didn't look as though she particularly needed any help.

"My daughter has this obsessive conviction that she was almost raped and then rescued by a couple of vampires who killed her assailant and made away with the body. Now she has taken on this absurd cause to prove that vampires exist and that they are really agents for good. At first I believed her story, about the attempted assault, but her story became progressively more unbelievable, and there is no evidence at all of a rape. The police have said so. It's all a made up story, but Samantha will not back down from any of it."


	3. Samantha's Story

With the declaration of the word 'vampire' her attention became fully alert. Rose glanced at Samantha and her body language affirmed that she totally believed what was being said and was hurt and angry to have it dismissed in this manner. Rose was assured that this was not some strange joke. She glanced at Miriam who was grinning at her. When they caught each other's eye, Miriam winked and silently mouthed the words 'I told you so.'

Rose stood up and walked to Mrs. Cavendish and looked closely in her eyes and said calmly but forcibly, "Thank you Mrs. Cavendish, I think you should go out with my assistant Miriam. She has some tea or coffee and snacks, I'm sure you'll enjoy. Your daughter and I need to have a little privacy, thank you."

Mrs. Cavendish meekly nodded her head. "Yes, I will, some tea would be very nice." She gathered her things and quietly followed Miriam out the door.

Rose sat down across from Samantha and smiled at her. "First of all, you may call me Rose."

"Wait a second, how did you do that?" Samantha demanded.

A little confused Rose replied, "I'm sorry, how did I do what?"

"Get rid of my mother like that. I've never seen anyone brush her off like that. How did you do that? All you said is have some tea or coffee and she just went along. You must have a trick, was it hypnosis? Can you teach me how to do that? It would make my life so much easier."

Rose smiled, she really could empathize with the girl, "I'm sorry Samantha, it takes years of experience. However, we're here to talk about what happened to you."

Samantha slumped back in her chair, "What's the point? You won't believe me, no one does."

This time Rose stared Samantha in the eyes and, with the same voice she used to speak to her mother, spoke to Samantha. "Samantha if you promise to tell the truth, I promise to believe you."

Samantha sat up more alertly and said, "Actually you seem different than the rest. Alright I'll tell you everything."

"My friends and I were hanging out at Central Park. We had gone to the Art Museum, it was getting late, and we were heading to the nearest subway station. I noticed a woodpecker banging on one of the trees and I stopped to watch. My friends went on and we became separated. I was just about to run to catch up, when this man grabbed me from behind and dragged me off the path. He placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream, and then he placed a knife against my throat, and said he would cut me if I made a sound."

"Rose, I was so frightened I couldn't do anything. I think I might of fainted or blacked out for just a second, because I found myself with him in some bushes nearby, and I'm not sure exactly how I got there. He was fumbling with my clothes trying to take them off, and groping me at the same time. I started crying and begging him to let me go. He talked real soft but it scared me anyways. He said such horrible things in such a matter of fact manner I really was frightened out of my wits. He said he could find out where I lived and if I didn't stop fighting he would track everyone in my family down and kill them, but if I were good to him, he would be good in return. Something about his way made me believe he would do everything he said."

"I mean, what could I do? Like I said, I was really scared, I just wanted to get away without being hurt, so I tried to lay still like he told me, it was awful with him touching me like that. Then, suddenly, he was off of me. I looked around and he was leaning against a tree quite a distance away. He had a kind of broken doll look and there was another man standing just above me. Then all of a sudden he wasn't there anymore, he just disappeared and then reappeared by that awful man and picked him up like he didn't weigh anything and threw him against another tree."

"Well, I saw my chance and got up and started running away. I heard the man call out to me to stop, and that he wouldn't hurt me, but I just wanted to get away. Then I saw a woman join him. She appeared out of nowhere like the other guy. I ducked behind some rocks nearby and hid. When I realized that they weren't chasing me I circled around to get closer to them because I realized they wouldn't hurt me, and I wanted to know what they were doing."

"I got as close as I could, where I could hear what they said to each other. The woman said to the man who had attacked me, 'Tell me your story, what do you do to these women?' She just spoke like that, calm and matter of fact. Then the man just did what she told him to do and described to her the things he did, horrible things. He was a monster. He tortured women as well as rape them. He made me sick. I hated him. I'm glad he's dead!"

"How do you know he's dead?" asked Rose, fascinated with the story that was being told.

"I saw the woman kill him, that's how. She's a vampire. After the man told what he did to women she bent over and bit his neck. She was there for quite a while, it seemed. The man struggled at first, then he went limp. Then the woman got up away from him and wiped some of the blood away from her mouth. The man with her said 'I really don't like doing this on impulse. It's better when we have it all planned out.' Then she said 'Some things can't be planned, Damon, you know that. Anyway, we can't leave the body here, we'll need to take it and dispose of it.' Then she and the man, I guess his name was Damon, took that monster away and I ran away to join up with my friends. The thing is, no one believes me. Those two were vampires, I know it, and they saved my life, because when that man was talking about what he did to women, sometimes he ended up killing them."

When she finished her story, Samantha stared defiantly at Rose waiting for signs of disbelief, certain that Rose would break her promise and not believe her story. Rose was so stunned when she heard Damon's name that she was momentarily speechless. Then without thinking, she remarked, "I'm surprised they didn't hear you sneak up on them."

"I was trying very hard to be quiet."

"No one is that quiet," Rose commented.

Of all the reactions Samantha had received from the telling of the story, Rose's was the most peculiar. "What do you mean by that? What do you know about it?"

Rose realized she had made a mistake as soon as she had spoken. She decided to try to pretend she had never said anything. "You're sure about the name Damon? Did you hear what the woman's name was?"

"Yes I'm sure, she said Damon. No, he never said her name." Demonstrating that Samantha had inherited a portion of her mother's willfulness, Samantha challenged, "What did you mean about nobody being that quiet. It's like you know something about it. What do know?"

"Give me a second, dear, I need to think. You must realize you have just related a truly incredible story."

"Yes, but you believe me, I can see it in your face. You know something that makes you believe me. You have to tell me."

"Hush for just a minute, will you? I have to think." Rose stood up and paced her office, thinking furiously. Could it really have been Damon, her Damon? Of course it was, how many vampires were there named Damon? If so, who was the woman?

Rose pivoted and confronted Samantha. "How good a look did you get of the woman? Can you describe her?"

Rose's urgency behind the question startled Samantha. "It was getting dark," Samantha observed doubtfully. "She was a little taller than me, and I'm 5 foot 4, she had dark hair, they both were white, by the way. Her hair was moderately long; I think it reached down to her shoulders. I could tell she was pretty. Other than that, I couldn't say."

Rose turned away from Samantha thinking hard. It could be Elena, but there was no way to be sure. It had been eight years ago. Rose had been sure that Elena was destined for vampirism and that she and Damon were meant for each other. If that were so, it sounded as though Elena had adjusted well to being a vampire. 'I shouldn't be surprised,' she thought, 'with Damon as her teacher, she should adapt well and Elena was a very tough girl.'

Suddenly, it occurred to Rose that she would have to do something about Samantha. Her first thought was to simply compel her to forget everything, but things had gone too far for that. Samantha had already told too many people. For her to not remember anything all of a sudden would cause her problems, perhaps serious problems. Rose quickly decided what she needed to do and sat down next to Samantha.

"Listen sweetheart, I believe you. I know there are vampires, and therefore I know your story is true."

This time Samantha jumped up and began pacing. "I knew it!" she cried triumphantly. "Vampires saved my life, they're heroes. How many are there? Are there many?"

Rose nodded, smiling. "There are quite a few, I'm afraid. Regarding being heroes, well I wouldn't make any global judgments based on just your experience. There are some really nasty ones around, you can trust me on that."

"But, my vampires saved my life, so they must be good."

"They also took a life, remember?"

"Yeah, but he was a monster. You didn't hear what he said he did to all those other women."

Rose thought for a moment and then replied, "Listen, you know that vampires all used to be human like us don't you?" Samantha simply nodded her head in agreement. "Well, are all humans good, or all humans bad?"

"Of course not! Mom is good, she loves me, she's real annoying, but she's a good person. But that man who attacked me, he was real evil."

"You understand that both good people and bad people can become vampires, right?"

Samantha snapped her fingers with understanding. "I get it, bad people make bad vampires and good people make good vampires, right?"

Rose nodded. "It's really not that simple, but it's good enough for now. The thing is, Samantha, its really better if you lay low about having seen vampires, like I do. Neither the good ones nor the bad ones want people going around talking about them as if they are real, do you understand? The good ones may simply erase your memory - you wouldn't want that. The bad ones, well, you can imagine what the bad ones might do if they thought you were going to be a problem."

Samantha's eyes grew round. "They can erase memories? How do you know so much about them?"

Rose glanced at her watch, "Listen Samantha, we're almost out of time. Here's what I want you to do. When we have your mother come in, tell her that you may be wrong about being rescued by vampires, but stick to your guns about being attacked. That really happened and you shouldn't ever have to pretend it didn't. Tell her that your seeing vampires were probably a vision from the shock of being attacked. You're sure you were rescued, but it probably wasn't a vampire. You do that and you can come back next week and I'll tell you what I know about vampires, okay?"

Samantha thought for a second and then replied, "Okay, I guess so. It's easier now, knowing that someone believes me. But I want to meet them, the two who rescued me. I want to thank them."

Doubtfully Rose replied, "That may not be possible Samantha. Don't go looking for vampires. They can be very dangerous and they generally don't like being found. The two who helped you did you a great service, but if you become a threat, don't assume you will always be safe with them."

Rose called Miriam and said, "Miriam, send Mrs. Cavendish in please."

As they were waiting, Samantha said, "Okay, what you've said makes sense. I'm not promising never to go looking for them, but I'll not do anything for now so long as you promise to tell me what you know. Is that a deal?"

Rose smiled. "Sure, of course you're mother will have to be willing to schedule more sessions for us to talk."

"She will. She'll be thrilled just to see me give up my vampire story. She'll like the vision angle a lot. It's funny how easy it is to not talk about it when I know someone like you can back me up. The more people kept telling me I was crazy, the more I wanted to prove them wrong."

"I understand, Samantha. That's why I decided to level with you in the very beginning. I don't tell just anyone that I know about vampires, you know. It would be bad for business." Samantha giggled in agreement. "Oh, by the way. What was the police officer's name who took your statement, do you remember?"

"His name was Officer Roderick. I'll never forget him. He was real sarcastic. I think a girl would have to be beaten near to death before he would believe anything. He really made me mad."

"Did you tell him the vampire's name?"

Samantha shook her head. "To tell you the truth, I had forgotten I had heard his name until I was telling you the story."


	4. Reflections, what to do now?

**A/N: Sorry I've been so long updating this. I have a number of projects ongoing. This story will take a little time to develop, please be patient.**

Rose sat in the window seat of her loft apartment sipping a glass of merlot as she watched the shifting colors of sunset across Prospect Park. What to do now, pondered Rose. Her life was good now, she was sorely tempted to help Samantha come to terms with what had happened and be done with it. However, questions about Damon and Elena niggled at her and refused to allow her to put the circumstances out of her mind.

Rose glanced down at the day ring that stayed on her right hand ring finger. She had taken a major risk, getting involved with them back then and the result had changed her life for the better. Instead of simply existing, trying to survive just another day, she now had a future, something to plan for.

Since that day, she virtually worshipped the sun. She had spent 500 years in the darkness, now she couldn't get enough light. When she purchased the lease on her loft apartment above her practice she had contracted a complete remodel, it's principle objective was to let in as much light as possible. She almost hadn't purchased the place since it didn't face east to catch the morning sun but the view of the park below was irresistible. Now she didn't regret the decision, she still caught a little of both the morning and evening sun and she could get a full view of the light on the trees, water and people below.

Rose took another sip of wine as she inventoried her life. Digging into Samantha's story would bring her nothing but trouble, Rose was certain of that. Samantha was going to be trouble as it was. She had all the signs of someone who was going to want to be turned. Rose wondered if there was anyway of turning Samantha away from her conviction that vampires were heroes without risking exposure herself. If Samantha learned she was a vampire, Rose would never be able to get rid of her. Rose ran through the session in her mind; had there been another way other than confirming that yes indeed Samantha had had a true experience with vampires? Rose shrugged her shoulders, of course she could. All she had to have done was act like any normal therapist and tell her that it was all a result of a reaction to a traumatic event, yet her conscious wouldn't allow her not to provide the constructive help Samantha needed and nothing was more disruptive to the mental and emotional well being than to try to convince someone that what they had actually seen didn't really happen.

So what to do now? She would continue seeing Samantha but let Damon and Elena, assuming they were the vampires Samantha had seen, go on about whatever they were doing. Rose knew the best course of action for her personally was to stay away from them. She was confident they were doing okay by themselves, they didn't need her, and they probably didn't want her around. Rose smiled to herself, for sure Elena didn't. Rose would try to advise Samantha regarding vampires by giving as accurate a history without giving herself away. She would have to manufacture a story explaining her own knowledge. If Samantha then chose to put herself in jeopardy by pursuing them on her own, well, that would be on her. After all, there's only so much you can do for a person.

Rose wondered what would happen in the future if Samantha did manage to get herself turned, would she come back to look Rose up? Rose shrugged; it wouldn't really matter at that point. Satisfied, Rose finished off her glass of wine with a single gulp. It was settled then, she would provide Samantha as much quality information about the supernatural world as practical. She would have to invent a story. She could borrow from Elena's life for that. She will say she had an adolescent crush on one brother who turned out to be evil. The other brother, the good one, tried to protect her and was killed in the process. Yes, that would work, just enough romance to capture her interest mixed with a healthy dose of the brutal life most vampires live.

Satisfied that she had a workable plan, Rose began to think about making preparations for the next day's lineup of patients when another thought occurred to her. Right now, the police had dismissed Samantha's story as a hysterical teenager's imagination gone amuck. What about when a body turns up? Rose knew that even if the vampires tried to disguise the nature of the injury, the fatal wounds would still be distinctive. Had there been other vampire related deaths in the city recently? Considering the size and nature of its population it was a natural hunting ground for vampires as well as all the other human predators that existed. Even so, it was an unwritten policy among vampires not to draw attention to themselves by hunting in one city for very long and, once they realized another vampire was present or had been there recently, moving on to another location.

Rose did not want to be caught by surprise by a sudden interest in serial killings by the police. Rose certainly liked to avoid contact with the authorities for good reason, however in this case she thought she should at least touch base with the office and identify herself as Samantha's therapist. If the authorities suddenly develop an interest in the case, they might think it odd that Rose hadn't done so. What was the policeman's name? Rose checked her notes; Roderick, that is his name. She would have Miriam track him down and make an appointment. Satisfied that Rose had resolved all the necessary points regarding Samantha's case, she went about her normal evening activities.

The next morning Miriam easily tracked down the policeman and made an appointment. "His name is Steven Roderick. He's a sergeant with the 11th precinct and I've made an appointment for you at 7:30 in the morning, tomorrow. I hope that's not to early, you said to make it before your morning appointments."

"7:30 is good Miriam, thanks. How did he sound? Did he sound interested, annoyed, bored, defensive, how would you assess his mood on the subject?"

"I don't know, it was a quick conversation. He didn't question why you wanted to speak to him when I explained your interest. I would say it was simply matter of fact."

Rose nodded, a little relieved. A simple professional conversation between would be perfect. No undue curiosity or hostility was all that she wanted. She put the matter out of her mind as she prepared to see her first patient of the day.

Rose woke early the next morning and arrived at the precinct a little early, she had overestimated the time it would take to get there, New Yorkers weren't known for getting out an about before 8:00 am.

When she announced her presence to the desk sergeant and that she had an appointment to meet with Officer Roderick he looked her up and down appraisingly. As Rose had adjusted to living a normal life, at least as normal as a vampire can live, she had developed more of an interest in fashion and now habitually dressed well whenever she went out. Rose realized that it was unusual for an attractive, fashionably dressed, professional woman to show up at the precinct like this so early in the morning.

"Well, Dr. Stanton, you've managed to beat Sergeant Roderick in this morning. I'm afraid you'll have to wait." Uncertainly the sergeant glanced around the waiting room at the various unsavory characters lounging around. "Uhm – I'll have another officer come and escort you back to Roderick's desk."

Rose smiled at the sergeant. "Thank you sergeant, you're very kind."

It wasn't a minute later before a young police officer escorted her back to the office area for all the police detectives. He gestured at a desk covered in papers and paper coffee cups.

"That's Sergeant Roderick's desk. You can wait there, ma'am."

Again Rose smiled her thanks and sat down. Curiously she glanced at all the papers wondering if there would be anything about Samantha showing. As she waited she wondered again whether there was any way that Damon Salvatore wasn't one of the vampires involved, and even if it was Damon, who was the woman? Was it really Elena? However, a more important question for Rose was why did she care? Her thoughts were interrupted when a police sergeant walked up to her.

"Dr. Stanton? I'm Sergeant Roderick. It's just my luck that the day I'm running late I also have an appointment with someone perfectly punctual. My Lieutenant was giving me grief about being late. What can I do for you?"

Rose looked Sergeant Roderick over assessing how she should proceed. He appeared in his mid-forties, was just under six feet, and his brown hair was showing some gray although it was still thick. Rose noticed his brief appraisal and how his attention focused on her breasts. She remembered Samantha's observation regarding how he didn't really want to believe any part of her story and realized that he was not particularly interested in being nice to women.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Sergeant. I believe my assistant explained that I am a therapist and I have a patient named Samantha Cavendish. Do you recall her?"

Roderick nodded and pulled out a file from his desk. "A supposed attempted rape with an outlandish story about vampires. How could I forget? I'm afraid you're being made the butt of a joke or adolescent cry for attention. Surely you don't give the girl's story any serious creditability?"

"Actually, yes I do," replied Rose. "Of course, I don't believe the vampire part, but the rest of her story is based on fact. I am convinced that someone tried to kidnap and rape her, and a couple that happened by rescued her. The vampire part of course is a hysterical subconscious reaction trying to create a view more palatable to her than the actual reality."

"Your saying she imagined the vampire part, but not the rape part. I suppose, that makes sense in a weird kind of way," Roderick grudgingly conceded. "So what do want from me?"

"First of all, I believe you should leave Samantha's case open in case a pattern is detected. Either a pattern of rape victims or rescuers." Rose pulled out her business card and handed it to him. "If either occurs, please give me a call. It would be beneficial to Samantha if I can fill her in with actual facts to replace the fabrication her mind has created."

Roderick examined her card and then placed it in the file. "You said first of all, what is second of all?"

"The fact that it is probable that someone did intervene on Samantha's behalf and her resort to fabricating an obviously hysterical account of the rescue suggests that it was particularly violent in nature. You might want to be on the lookout for a body turning up and check the hospitals for someone seeking care for unusual injuries."

"Doctor, you do realize that a lot happens in the city. You're asking me to be on the lookout for a needle that may or may not exist. Although we don't get as many murders as television would suggest, they still happen, and in regards to injuries, they are common. How am I supposed to determine whether a dead body or injured victim is relevant?"

Rose stopped to think on how to be more specific without damaging her creditability or causing suspicion later by seeming to know more than she should. "Considering the nature of her fabrication, I would suggest any severe wounds to the neck should be considered."

Roderick thought for a moment, staring thoughtfully at Rose. "Would you call a decapitation a severe wound to the neck?"

Rose's interest was definitely alerted. As grisly as it sounded, decapitating the victim afterwards would certainly disguise the nature of the cause of death. She knew that Damon was fully capable of being sufficiently ruthless to cover his trail by such an act. However, the downside was it tended to attract undo attention. "That would certainly account for Samantha's hysteria."

Roderick shook his head. "No, the head was taken off post-mortem. However, there is no other cause of death so the head must have been removed to hide the actual cause, or as some form of ritual, or both."

"Where was the body found?"

"It was pulled out of the Hudson. By sheer luck a sailing vessel came across it before it went out to sea. Time of death does fit Samantha's story, and they've identified the body and he has a record for being a suspect in several violent sexual assaults." Roderick thought for a moment. "I'll pass this on to the homicide detectives who have the case. I imagine they are going to want to talk to Samantha again. You say she's given up on the vampire line?"

Rose hesitated, beginning to wish she had dropped the whole matter. "She understands why she believes she's seen what she has. That doesn't mean that her memory has been sharpened to recall what actually happened. She still remembers it the same way. I wouldn't say she is a reliable witness in regards to specific details, just that the actual event did occur."

Roderick nodded. "Understood, still, I'm sure the detectives will want to speak with her. Will that be okay?"

"I'm not her attorney or her parent, you'll have to ask them. As her therapist, if the detectives are considerate and respectful I see no harm."

"Actually, I'm sure they'll want to talk with you as well. Let me see if they are available." Roderick reached for his phone.

Rose glanced at her watch, it was just a little after 8. "I need to be back at my office at nine. I can't wait around very long."

Sergeant Roderick spoke briefly over the phone and then hung up. "That's not a problem, they're not in at the moment. Their names are Jo Martinez and Mike Hanson, I'll pass your card on to them. I'm sure they'll be in touch."

Rose stood up and extended her hand to shake the Sergeant's. "I'll look forward to it and I'll give Samantha's mother a heads up that she can expect a call."


End file.
